I had my surgery in 1/2005, retrosimoid approach removing a 1.5cm AN. I can experience neck pain also and if ignored leads to a headache. I discovered this while I was walking my dog. My field of vision bounces up and down while walking, which is due to recently diagnosed nystagmus. As I am looking straight ahead I began to notice how my neck muscles were constantly working to keep me upright. By the time I am home I feel tired, my head feels full and there is tension in my neck spreading up to my skull. Being a massage therapist and yoga teacher I have helped myself with self massage using my fingertips and thumbs all over the tight areas of my neck, occiput (back of head), and jaw muscles. After this I will stretch the neck in all directions holding each position while inhaling fully and slowly for 5 breaths for two rounds. I found pointing my chin up (which contracts the necks muscles) would hurt at first, but after the second go around the muscles released. Sometimes I will use yellow tennis balls placed in a sock holding them together positioning the balls on the occiput muscles. Then I slowly move them down the neck, breathing slowly at each move and then reverse the process. This has helped to relieve the tensed muscles caused I believe by the head constantly moving in micro incrimints to keep us balanced and upright.
